Those who have been in prison at least once are nearly 10 times more likely to be homeless than the general public.
Read that again.
The links between homelessness and incarceration are real and sobering, putting some individuals in a loop cycle that is hard to escape. Homelessness often leads to incarceration … incarceration often leads to homelessness. And without interception, the cycle can keep repeating itself, even for generations.
Several dynamics are at play here. As individuals leave prison, they face incredible barriers trying to assimilate back into civilization. Family dynamics have changed. Friends moved away. Jobs are hard to nail down. A record makes it hard to find or rent an apartment—especially in the affordable housing crisis of today.
One study broke this down even more. Out of every 100,000 people who were once incarcerated, 570 face some sort of housing insecurity, compared to 21 out of 100,00 of the general public. Some studies estimate that up to 10% of people leaving prison end up homeless.
The reality is, they have nowhere else to go.
These statistics are sobering and show just how real homelessness can be for those who want to start over after prison. These are real people trying to rebuild their lives, who just need a second chance.
Here at Good Sam, we believe no one should have to walk this road alone. We are all about coming alongside those facing homelessness, committed to compassionately responding to homelessness and housing insecurity.
We live and work to see cycles be broken so that all our participants can thrive, both while in our program and after graduation.
Because everyone deserves a second chance.
